Canadian auto racing legend Paul Tracy will run his first practice lap today in a car he's never been in before in his first open-wheel race in almost four months as part of a one-shot attempt to determine his IndyCar future.

In other words, Tracy said yesterday, no pressure.

"We all want to do well, our expectations are to do well, but I haven't set any type of goal on myself that we have to win the race," said the Canadian driver in advance of Saturday's Rexall Edmonton Indy (TSN, 5 p.m.) at the City Centre Airport. "We're just going to take it step by step every day. From my standpoint, this is my opportunity to get back in the (IndyCar) series."

The Toronto-born Tracy, 39, was left without a ride in 2008 when the old Champ Car World Series folded into the IndyCar circuit to reunifiy open-wheel racing in North America.

The man nicknamed the Thrill from West Hill was still under contract to Forsythe Racing, which did not join the merger.

He raced once in 2008 in Long Beach, Calif., to finish up his contract with Forsythe, but had otherwise been idle until Walker Racing and Vision Racing teamed up with sponsor Subway to get him a one-off ride in Edmonton.

Tracy, famous for an aggressive, in-your-face driving style, has 31 career wins and 262 career starts.

He has raced three times for Champ Car in Edmonton, finishing in the top five every time.

Tracy said it's critical he qualify tomorrow in the top 10 to keep his black, white and yellow No. 22 car with the leaders on Edmonton's wide-open 14-turn, 3.1-kilometre circuit.

"You really have to be quick here to do well," he said. "If you're not on the pace, you're really going to struggle, so from that standpoint the car's got to be good here.

"To stay at the front you have to have the pace to do well because it's not that difficult to pass."

The airport/street course, he said, will also punish lighter drivers like the 100-pound Danica Patrick.